1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer graphics display, and more specifically to a graphics display tool for controlling data visualization.
2. Related Art
Computer graphics display systems have long been used to visualize data. Depending upon the type of data involved, a data visualization is displayed to identify data content, characteristics, properties, relationships, trends, and any other aspect of the data. For example, business and scientific data is often visualized through charts, graphs, histograms, and figures. Virtual reality (VR) data visualizations represent data using display models, such as, information landscapes, hierarchies, cones, walls, and trees.
A data visualization, however, represents a snapshot of data that is fixed with respect to external dimension(s) not represented in the data visualization itself. For example, consider a company""s annual sales data reported in a simple bar chart. A bar can be provided for each retail store in the company. The heights of the bars represent the annual sales for the respective retail stores. In this case, time is one external dimension. The bar chart represents annual sales only for a particular year. Sales data over other time intervals, such as, sales in prior years or monthly sales data, are not visible in the single bar chart display.
A xe2x80x9csliderxe2x80x9d is used to vary the display of data in an external dimension. A slider is often a button or dial which a user moves along a scale to set the data visualization to a different value or range of values in the external dimension For the annual sales bar chart discussed above, a slider can be used to extend the bar chart to cover sales made in a preceding year. Such sliders, however, are ineffective navigation instruments. Using sliders alone leaves the user blind to any variations in the data over the external dimensions. A user only receives notice of the change in data over the external dimension after a slider has been set. In addition, a slider can control only one external dimension at a time. Even if two sliders are provided, a user can only move one slider at a time, thereby, precluding independent simultaneous navigation in more than one external dimension.
A graphics display tool for controlling or varying data visualization in at least one external dimension is needed, which allows better querying and navigation of data in external dimension space. Summary information about how data for a data visualization varies across external dimension space is needed to guide data queries and navigation. An ability to query and navigate a data visualization across one, two, or more external dimensions in a simultaneous and independent manner is needed.
The present invention provides a method, system, and program product for controlling data visualization in at least one external dimension, which allows better querying and navigation of data in external dimension space. Summary information about how data in the data visualization varies across one or more external dimensions is provided in a summary window to guide a user when querying and navigating the data. Through inputs to the summary window, a user can query and navigate a data visualization across one, two, or more external dimensions in a simultaneous and independent manner. External controller(s) are provided for the summary window to further control data queries and navigation across external dimension space. An external controller can be a slider, dial, or other type of Graphical-User Interface (GUI), keyboard, or peripheral input.
The user makes a query for a data visualization covering a data point in external dimension space by selecting a corresponding point in the summary window. The data visualization will then be displayed in a first display window covering actual and/or interpolated data at the selected point. In a snap-on-grid mode, a data visualization will be displayed based on one or more actual data points closest to the selected point input by the user. Grid points can be optionally displayed in the summary window during the snap-on-grid mode to visually aid a user in identifying actual data points across the external dimension space.
The user navigates through the data visualization across external dimension space by defining a navigation path in the summary window. The data visualization will then be displayed as an animation following the selected navigation path. A navigation path can be established in either of three main ways. First, a navigation path can be defined by selecting start and end points in the summary window. Second, a user can trace a free-form navigation path in the summary window to direct free-form navigation. Lastly, predefined paths for animation can also be selected or provided as default animation modes.
Again in a snap-on-grid mode, grid points, corresponding to actual data points, can be optionally displayed in the summary window to facilitate navigation. The snap-on-grid mode can also be turned on and off algorithmically so that a navigation path is forced or not forced through actual data points.
An animation control panel controls an animated display of the data visualization along a navigation path. The animation control panel includes tape-drive-type controls, such as forward, reverse, and stop controls, for controlling data visualization during animation. The animation control panel further includes a path slider and a speed slider. The path slider allows a user to reset the position of the animation along the navigation path. The speed slider allows a user to adjust the speed of the animation along the path.
Any single data visualization or animation can be based on actual data points and/or interpolated data points. Known interpolation techniques can be used to obtain interpolated data points based on the actual data points. In this way, for example, an animation can proceed along a navigation path that includes actual and interpolated data point. This enables a user to observe changes in the data visualization more easily and smoothly. An automatic smooth stopping feature allows a user to observe an animation over interpolated data points, but when the animation is stopped or paused, the data visualization continues or reverses to the nearest actual data point. This allows the user to navigate easily to areas of interest and to detect trends in the data using interpolated values, but to perform closer study only upon data visualizations representing actual data points.
Likewise, summary window information can be drawn based on actual and/or interpolated data. By providing a summary window, the present invention allows the user to preview data in external dimension space before a data visualization is mapped to new external dimension values or ranges. In this way, a user is better equipped to target data queries and navigation across external dimension space. After an input is made to the summary window, the user is free to focus on changes in a still or animated data visualization.
In a first preferred embodiment, a computer graphics display method, system, and program product are provided for varying a scatter data visualization in external dimension space (covering one or two external dimensions) through a graphical user-interface.
In a second preferred embodiment, a computer graphics display method, system, and program product are provided for varying a map data visualization in external dimension space (covering one or two external dimensions) through a graphical user-interface.
Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.